The Labor Center regularly develops and updates educational manuals, handouts, and multi-media resources for workers as laws, policies, and workplace challenges evolve. We are able to make a few of our resources available for public downloading, sharing, and viewing below.
If you are looking for labor-related resources on a specific topic, please feel free to contact us at labor-center@uiowa.edu. We will be happy to talk with you about the manuals and other resources we've developed on the topic you're researching, as well as their availability and cost, and share information with you about any additional sources of credible information on your topic that may be available.
Iowa Worker Rights Manual
The Iowa Worker Rights Manual is the only comprehensive guide to over 50 state and federal laws covering Iowa workplaces. The Labor Center released the first edition in 2012. With donations from several Iowa unions, the manual became part of a broader Iowa Worker Rights Project in which the Labor Center conducted workshops in English, Spanish, French, and Arabic for low-wage workers across the state. The second edition of the guide, updated in 2017, is available here for free download. A new edition is coming soon!
Wage Payment Rights in Iowa
You work hard for your wages! It's important to understand your rights and ensure that you are receiving at least the full wages required by state and federal minimum wage and wage payment laws. This brochure, currently available in English and Spanish, compiles key provisions under the federal Fair Labor Standards Act, the Iowa Minimum Wage Law, and the Iowa Wage Payment Collection Act.
Preventing Wage Theft and Misclassification in Construction
As part of a grant awarded to Common Good Iowa and the Center for Worker Justice of Eastern Iowa, funded by the Economic Analysis and Research Network, the Labor Center is producing accessible materials in English and Spanish to prevent and combat wage theft and misclassification in the construction industry.
You can help by sharing these videos and downloading the flyers on this page! Reach out to the Labor Center if you have any questions about construction workers' rights to protect their wages, safety, and ability to defend these legal protections without retaliation.
Quick Guide to Public Sector Bargaining in Iowa
In 2017, the Iowa General Assembly made sweeping changes to Iowa's public sector collective bargaining law (Chapter 20 of Iowa Code), particularly with regard to bargaining units of workers who are not classified as "public safety" workers under the new law. This quick guide provides an introduction to the topics that are mandatory, permissible, and prohibited for non-public safety units.
Worker Health and Safety
The COVID-19 pandemic underscored the reality that public health in our communities is only possible when workers have safe and healthy conditions on the job. This video was made at the beginning of the pandemic, but the lessons it contains about OSHA, the hierarchy of controls, right to engage in concerted activities, and documenting safety concerns apply to all workplace safety issues.
Workers' Rights Law, Policy, and Enforcement Links
Below are a few useful links to governmental and non-governmental organizations' websites that host information about workers' legal rights, enforcement, and policy research
- United States Department of Labor: https://www.dol.gov/
- Iowa Division of Labor: https://www.iowadivisionoflabor.gov/
- Iowa Division of Workers' Compensation: https://www.iowaworkcomp.gov/employee-and-claimant-information
- National Labor Relations Board: https://www.nlrb.gov/
- Iowa Public Employment Relations Board: https://iowaperb.iowa.gov/
- Economic Policy Institute: https://www.epi.org/
- National Employment Law Project: https://www.nelp.org/
- National Immigration Law Center: https://www.nilc.org/
- Common Good Iowa: https://www.commongoodiowa.org/
- AFL-CIO, America's Unions: https://aflcio.org/
If you are looking for educational resources on a specific labor-related topic, email the Labor Center at labor-center@uiowa.edu or call us at 319-335-4144. We will be happy to talk with you about our educational materials and classes, and we can refer you to other agencies and resources.
Information provided on or through this website is NOT intended, nor shall it be construed as, legal advice.
If you need legal advice, you should contact an attorney.